Wakefield Tak(le) The Power of Juju

For those over 40 the name may sound familiar, as it was once used to signify a somewhat obscure, second tier rock band that operated out of Colorado back in the late '60s and early '70s. Sadly the band never broke out and eventually broke up.

Wakefield.

For those under 30 may sound familiar, especially if you watch Nickelodeon, MTV, or bother to stay up with the latest musical trends.

In 2003, Wakefield is the name adorned on a quartet of fresh faced lads--Ryan Escolopio, Aaron Escolopio, J.D. Tennyson, Mike Schoolden--hailing from the 'burbs of Maryland.

The boys persist in delivering a brash, catchy, and intense brand of no-frills rock and roll, the kind of music that once bred rebellion in the youth of America (lottsa guitars, thrashing drums, and songs about love, life, and partying).

While their debut album, American Made resonates with self-assuredness and tongue-in-cheek self-efacement, the band has also managed to branch out into the realm of video games. They recently recorded a cover version of Iggy Pop's classic 1983 cover of "Real Wild Child," which is being used in THQ's upcoming game Tak and the Power of Juju.

The recently slipped through San Francisco as part of the Reel Big Fish/Riddlin Kids tour and I managed to catch up with them during sound check at the legendary SF venue, The Fillmore Auditorium.

Here's what they had to say about their new version of an old rock classic.

IGN: What's up guys? It's been one of those days, you know? I just came from interviewing Jesper Kyd, who composed the music for Hitman 2.

J.D. Tennyson: That's awesome, dude.

Aaron Escolopio: Me and the bass player, Mike, my cousin, are really big, well Mike's really big into writing music for video games and actually writing out video game storylines. That was like the second thing [beyond being in a rock band] he wanted to do.

*[Editors note: Mike was out tuning his bass at sound check, so he missed most of the interview.]

TAK & THE POWER OF JUJU is a 3D platform game featuring an original cast of characters. An evil sorcerer named Tlaloc is threatening the tranquility of Tak's tribal village, so the young shaman apprentice takes it upon himself to put an end to the problem once and for all.